1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ashtrays having a timer-controlled alarm system that serves to awaken the smoker in the event the smoker fails to extinguish the cigarette or smoking material in the ashtray, thereby deactivating the timer and its alarm system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Rossitto U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,790 describes a timer-controlled alarm for an ashtray. The timer is set manually by the smoker, but this is not an automatic setting. The smoker must remember to set the timer when he lights up his smoking material. There is no connection between the ashtray and the timer, as in the present invention. Once the timer is set in the Rossitto patent, the alarm will sound when the timer returns to a zero setting.
The Dahl U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,900 describes an ashtray with an electrically operated alarm for audibly indicating when a cigarette should be snuffed out. There is an ash-receiving bowl, an alarm device mounted under the bowl, and a battery-operated motor connected through suitable gearing to the alarm device. The alarm device is arranged to generate an audible signal in response to energization of the motor, and it may comprise a mechanically driven music box. There are several ash-receiving troughs which communicate with the bowl, and on which a lighted cigarette may be placed. There is a bimetallic element associated with each trough. Thus, when the cigarette burns down, it heats up the bimetallic element which, in turn, energizes the motor circuit and sets off the alarm. This alarm system is related to the burning of a cigarette within the trough of the ashtray 10. This Dahl patent would not prevent a smoker from causing a fire by falling asleep with a cigarette in his mouth.
The Starkenberg U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,656 describes an animated ashtray having a rimmed bowl on which cigarettes may be mounted. The danger is that as the cigarette continues to burn in the ashtray, its center of gravity changes, and it may topple off the ashtray, outside the bowl, and damage the table on which the ashtray is supported. This patent relates to a water system for extinguishing the cigarette. A water-filled bulb is supported on a pivoted operating lever, and an elephant with its trunk directed at the cigarette is furnished with the water from the bulb. A key element of this patent is a bimetallic member which becomes heated by the cigarette and will pivot a lever mechanism so that an actuator will compress the bulb and force the water to pass through the trunk of the elephant and be directed at the cigarette to extinguish it. This patent assumes that the cigarette will be parked on the edge of the ashtray, which, of course, is quite different from the present invention.
The Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,557 is from an unrelated art that is not concerned with smoking material or ashtrays. This patent describes an article-operated switch for use near a telephone, and it includes a pencil or pen so that the withdrawal of the pencil or pen from the device will cause a lamp to be energized and to remain energized until the pencil or pen is returned to its storage position.
The Compton U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,579 describes an automatic alarm system for a bathroom toilet for use by handicapped persons. A conventional flush-type commode is provided with a mercury switch mounted on the manually operated actuating arm of the flush mechanism. An electrically operated timer is mounted near the commode, and it is reset every time the commode is flushed. Failure to flush the commode periodically, due to incapacitation of the occupant, permits the timer to run its cycle, at the end of which the alarm is actuated, and neighbors or friends will be informed that they should visit the occupant to check his whereabouts and safety.
The Nishina U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,820 is another patent from an unrelated art which describes a repeating alarm device, having a particular motor and gear mechanism for operating the alarm. This patent is not directed toward safety around an ashtray and the burning of smoking material.
The last patent is to Herrick U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,732 which is also not related to ashtrays or safety around burning material, such as cigarettes and the like. This patent relates to a security device for use by elderly people or the handicapped who live alone. An inanimate object, such as a house key, is placed in a key dish when the person is at home. There is also an activity detector present. The placement of the key in the dish sets a clock timer to measure a period of time. In the event there is human activity in the house, the clock timer will be reset to zero. If the key is in the dish and there is no human activity over a long period of time, then the alarm goes off. When the person leaves the residence, the key is removed from the dish and no clock timer is actuated. However, if a burglar were to enter the residence, the human activity detector would sense this and set off the alarm.